The Miracle Luckster
by Mrotrax
Summary: Co-created by Danmaku-OverLord. Nagei Makoto; seemingly average young man with the title of Luckster. But he is far more than that: He is an unsung, forgotten hero...and unimaginably evil villain. 7th Crusader Naegi, CHAPTER 1 REDONE. Read and Review, would ye kindly?
1. Chapter 1

**"You are antisocial and have trouble fitting in. However, you are honest and don't put on a show of yourself for others. You have a lot of self-loathing and a bit of a persecution complex. You hate the things you don't understand, and take things as fact without looking into them. However, when it comes to protecting your loved ones, you can accomplish tremendous feats of strength."**

Act 1: Miracles

Just as there are countless choices to be made in life, there are countless universes. Some of these universes are as different and black and white. Others are so similar it would take a thousand lifetimes to find the single different: In one universe, we got right, and in another we go left.

This is a tale of what happens when the choices are different, and yet the choice-maker is the same and yet different.

It has often been said that a mind is a terrible thing to waste. For Naegi Makoto, it was a terrible thing to listen to.

Born with the ability to hear the thoughts of others, but with no idea how to control it, Naegi had lived a fairly normal life; he'd go to school, do homework, answer questions asked of him and spend time with his family.

His family; the one constant thing in his life. His firm but proud father, his caring mother and his sister, who thought the world of him. No matter what kind of trouble his gift or curse brought upon him, they always understood. They never thought poorly of him or spoke against his back. They never considered him a freak for his ability.

He hadn't thought much of those words, instead going about his life as usual. He had crushes yes, and acquaintances, but his family were the reason he kept his impulse in.

His impulses. That's what his parents called them, but he knew what it really was: His hidden 'evil', as many would call it, but those words came from cowards who never looked at the matter from his perspective. For ever since he had been born, Naegi had never considered the concepts of good and evil to be worth anything: You were who you were, it was that simple.

However, he knew that if he acted on these thoughts, the three beings who made his life bearable otherwise would suffer. That thought gave him a bad taste in his mouth, and he hated to see them in any sort of discomfort; whenever someone gave his mother or sister looks, he glared back at them, and they ran for the hills.

His life was normal for his final year of middle school. It was also the last year of his life he was ever truly happy; his family were so proud of him when he was accepted into Hope's Peak, although they shared his disagreement of his name: The Ultimate Luckster. But Ultimate Psychic had already been taken (Naegi made a note to test this fellow).

They had a celebratory dinner as he packed, truly looking forward to his high school life. His sister demanded he call her every week, his mom gave him a cookbook of his favorite recipes and his father took him fishing, where he had 'abused' his power to help them make a huge catch.

Life had finally been looking good for Naegi; a good education, a gift/curse that would aid him throughout life and a loving family.

And then it had happened: the whole affair with DIO and...them: The details were sketchy to him now, but somehow, while in his first year at High School, he had met Joseph Joestar, Jotaro Kjo, Noriaki Kakioyin, Jean-Pierre Polneraff and Abdovl.

It was through them he learnt what he had long thought to be mind-reading was something else entirely: It was called a Stand; a humanoid spirit with fighting power unique to him and him alone:

He had called it Miracles, getting the name from the RD Miracles band. Its abilities were to make the user invisible to others and induce hallucinated pain, as well as deflect attacks back at enemies, read most minds, as previously said, and turn the user invisible.

With the knowledge of an apparently evil Stand User on his mind, Naegi had come onboard to their little group; which he would later deem the Stardust crusaders. They went halfway around the world together, a minion of DIO around every corner. They were de and re-aged, magentizied, turned into dolls, fought in their dreams, had their souls stolen and dealt with some of the worst animals (figurative and literal) imaginable.

What Naegi loved most was the journey itself: Japan, China, India and Egypt…he saw them all: The people, the customs, the food and the beliefs. He had been an avid reader back home, but to see all this upfront was a treat to him, as it was to at least some of his fellow travellers: The Stardust Crusaders. At many a glance, they were a close-knit of fire-forged friends. And to most of them, they were…..

But as the journey went on and the Stand Users they fought grew more and more vicious and cruel, Naegi decided to forgo ignoring his impulses, and when no one was looking, he'd kill the enemy Stand Users. They were obstacles in his way and he mused, if and when DIO was destroyed, they would come for him and the other Crusaders. Best to get rid of them now. Not like anyone would miss them.

Not to mention that it felt AMAZING to indulge in these impluses. So when it came time to deal with DIO, for the first time in his life, Naegi acted instead of reacted...and embraced his inner nature.

When they finally met DIO, Naegi knew right off the bat that he could not afford to hold back on either his impulses or abilities. He also knew that he had probably the second weakest Stand in the group.

Avdovl and Iggy died first, helping him and Poleneraff in battle with Vanilla Ice, the demented and devoted servant of DIO. The fortune teller from Egypt had pushed the two out of harm's way and was reduced to nothing but a pair of arms.

"… _.goodbye, my friend."_

Iggy dealt a critical blow to Ice, and the rage Naegi felt as he helped Poleneraff end the vampire had been genuine.

" _...Dumb dog. You actually were pretty cool."_

Still unaware of DIO's power, Naegi continued to follow his impulses and did something that changed the course of history forever; he went over to DIO's side, feigning an understanding of the vampire's motives and deciding to protect someone who was just living their life. In reality, he hoped that the Crusaders would weaken DIO enough for him to actually stand a chance against him, and by siding with DIO, he could better understand the power of The World.

After siding with DIO, he had felt a twinge of regret when he shuffled Polneraff and Kakoyin off the mortal coil…

" _You'll see your sister soon enough, Jean-Pierre. Rest in peace with your family."_

" _Honour is overrated, but at least you die doing what you feel is right….Aniki."_

But he had felt nothing for Jotaro.

" _You are incredibly emotionally-dense and a horrid son. Miss Holly deserves so much better_."

Joseph was a relief; as funny as he could be, his catchphrases had annoyed the SHIT out of Naegi.

 _"You have NO idea how long I've been waiting to do that!"_

Vins, the mysterious woman who had brought back several of DIO's minions and had apparently made an arrangement with Jotaro to aid the Crusaders if Naegi went rouge, was surprisingly fun to fight….and Miracles-user sympathized with her reasons as he ended her.

" _Go see your son and rest in peace."_

And the best part? For the first time in his life, Naegi actually felt powerful! And that feeling grew even more when it was HE, not Jotaro, who had ended DIO's reign.

Naegi admitted that DIO's mind had actually been a waste: It was what he could honesty and truly call a brilliant mind. One ignorant of its own evil and yet still smart enough to keep a moral compass. One determined to do ANYTHING, even give up humanity for power and do something that had never been done before.

 _"So powerful. So intelligent...and so arrogant. You were destined to fail from the start. I mean, what good is stopping time...when you can hear it coming? And don't worry, I'll deal with your priest soon enough...though I may go after that Arrow first….Oh, yeah DIO. I can read your mind. I know EVERYTHING. And unlike you, I'm settling for godhood."_

It had not occurred to him at first, but he caught a glimpse of a smile as the vampire died. There had been a sense of kinship between the two during their battle: They had the same glare of pure evil and did/had loved only one thing before all this went down. Their abilities were godly and they had been mocked all their lives, told they would not amount to anything….

Those fools who had mocked them were now or soon would be turning over in their graves.

With DIO dead, Naegi helped himself to the vast treasures and fortunes the vampire had horded, and then used Joseph's credit card to buy his way back home, where he was warmly welcomed back by his family.

However, when Naegi finally returned home, he came back with a purpose.

DIO, as grand as his power was, had failed in one aspect; Naegi realized that the vampire had failed to truly grasp the limits of his power: He had only used the Stand Arrow once, never once seeming to wonder what would've happened if it had been used a 2nd time? It took him awhile, but Naegi did eventually find out how the Stand Arrows came into the possession of their owners.

He went to Italy, found the man who had sold Enya the Stand Arrow, killed him and took the Stand Arrow for himself. He was not disappointed with the results of his Stand's evolution, nor was he disappointed with the loot he helped himself to.

Miracles Requiem took his abilities to levels he hadn't thought before; he could now enter minds, like Death 13 or that Freddy fellow in those horror movies his dad showed to him, and then there were his beloved vectors, ghostly like psychic arms that could either destroy or mostly heal anything they managed to hold onto with an extended range to the entire world!

With these new powers, life was looking even better for Naegi when he returned to school: his grades skyrocketed and he began to live more dangerously, actually forming bonds with his classmates….and quite possibly, feeling the romantic version of love for the first time.

And then his parents and sister were killed. No one cared to look for their murderers or comfort him, telling him to get over it, and some even thinking they deserved to die for his existence.

So he went back to the damn school, only to be trapped in it and 'forced' to partake in a Mutual Killing Game when things suddenly changed, everyone's memoires erased save for his own. He eventually find out who and why his family, the lights of his life, had been killed….A despair fetish.

That was the last straw.

In what seemed like seconds or minutes (he didn't really care), he had done what nothing, not even the cause of the dinosaurs' extinction, had done:

Naegi Makoto ended all life on his planet. Man, woman, child, plant, animal….None were safe from him. All it cost him was a corner of his face.

He was truly the strongest to ever live: The Ultimate Genocide.

And then the euphoria died and he could no longer laugh at the burning and crying round him, he sat and waited. For what? He didn't know or care.

The world was finally quiet. He could hear himself think. Something he had wanted for so, so long….complete utter silence.

And he couldn't think up a single damn thing aside from the image of his parents, the Crusaders, his classmates, and even DIO appeared for a brief second, but vanished.

And then something dripped from his face. Huh. It was funny and yet tragic….

He laughed again as tears poured down his face: With no silence, he had nothing to spur thought.

He didn't regret his actions. But on that note, an idea popped up in his head:

"What if I had known?"

Miracles Reqiuem's full abilities had done him well in ending life….and yet, that was what the Stand Arrow did only once. What happened if used twice? That, after all, was what had led to him killing DIO and begun his crusade.

With that, his mind was made up.

Using the Stand Arrow one last time, and this time stabbing himself, perhaps in an attempt to end his life he didn't know, Naegi used his powers to the utmost limit and did something else that had never been done before: He went on a one way trip back in time. Back to when he had first the Crusaders and with a new mission.

But that is not where this tale begins.

No, our tale occurs on the first day of High school for ANOTHER Naegi Makoto.

 **Read and review would ye kindly?**

 **Titanic sized thanks to Danmaku-OverLord, who coined the idea and is co-developing this story and many others with me.**

 **He also suggested some edits along with Lolrus555. Give their fics a read and review, will ya?**

 **See ya when I see ya, keep safe and have a good one; chapter two will be up shortly.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy**

At first glance, he was ordinary in every meaning of the word.

Not dashingly handsome or prodigally bright, not very fast or blindly charming. Decent grades, a small circle of friends and a normal family life.

For all intents and purposes, this should not have been happening to him; getting accepted into one of the greatest schools in the whole world: Hope's Peak Academy, where only the brightest and best students went.

But if there was one thing he knew, it was that, in the mind of Naegi Makoto, one was not to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially for such a prestigious position. So he accepted this opportunity in spite of not really agreeing with the title the school had given him 'Super Ultimate High School Level Luckster.'

So here he was, about to step in on his first day and ready to take on the world.

"I'm going to face this trail and everything that comes my…"

Then everything went black.

DGR-7th-JOJO

Naegi awoke to find himself at a desk inside a room he didn't recall getting into.

…..

….

How many times you hear that at the start of a story?

The doors where shut with steel blinds and nails were scattered throughout the walls. The desks were in pristine condition, and the lighting in the room gave the impression it was still fairly early in the day.

Wait. Why did he feel funny?

Naegi then glanced down…and saw his attire had changed.

Along with his brown hoodie and pants, which felt lighter than he recalled, he now wore a black overcoat with 'LUCKY LAND' written onto the left sleeve and golden pins in the shape of a crescent moon and star on the lapels.

''What the...? What happened to my clothes?' Naegi thought to himself. 'So... whoever brought me here ALSO made a point of getting rid of my blazer and replacing it with this overcoat...? This is getting weirder by the second.

'Well, if anything, I won't deny I kind of like it...''

Realising he was the only person in the class, Naegi looked around the room and saw a note:

All students are to report to the assembly hall immediately. Vry blunty and kind of creepy.

 _'Okay, the note is creepy, we get it. Can we speed this up now?'_

Naegi's fear was not made any better when a voice suddenly spoke up from nowhere.

"Huh!? What was that!?'' The brunette yelped, scrambling back into a wall, frantically looking all around him. Despite sounding like it was spoken right over his shoulder, there was no sign that there was anyone else in the room besides himself.

"I... I got to be really tired if I'm hearing things now." Naegi murmured to himself, his shoulders slouching slightly. "Heh, last time I binge watch Youtube after dinner and before bed…"

 _'Nope. You've gotten plenty of sleep and you're certainly not hearing things. I'm just as real as you are.'_ The voice spoke up once more, sounding far too casual given the strange situation at hand.

Sadly for it, Naegi did not share this feeling.

"What the hell!? What's-!?"

 _'Shut up and don't speak if you want to get through this, got it?'_ The voice snapped _. 'I got something important that I need to tell you.'_

The voice's tone was blunt and forceful, yet at the same time….very familiar. When it was clear that Naegi's shock had muted him, it continued.

 _'You need to head over to the entrance hall, there are more people there waiting for you, understand?'_

'Y...Yeah, I got it.'

 _'Good, and be careful. Things have changed this time around.'_

'What? What are you talking about...!? Hello!?'

With no response, Naegi did as he had been ordered.

JOJO-DGR

Naegi quickly found the assembly hall and was greeted by the sight of 15 of the most diverse students he had ever seen; some looked like they were taken from the pages of a manga or magazine, some he recognized from tabloids.

And all their eyes were on him.

"Um…hi?" He weakly waved.

' _Smooth.'_

'Shut up.'

' _No.'_

A man dressed in attire fit for a decorated soldier (or and overly committed hall monitor), who Naegi would later learn was known as Kyoto Ishimaru, the Moral Compass, marched up to the protagonist of our tale.

"YOU! You're late! We've been waiting for you for over 10 minutes now! Regardless of what's happened to us, there is no excuse to be tardy!" Ishimaru exclaimed, an intense look in his red eyes before he suddenly got a good look at Naegi's outfit and his expression became pained. "But more importantly….

Naegi, against his better judgement, forced himself to hear harer…a decision he regretted:

"YOUR OUTFIT! IT FEATURES SO MANY DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS! AN OUTFIT SUCH AS THAT IS NOT WELCOME IN A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY NOT A SCHOOL AS PRESTIGIOUS AS HOPE'S PEAK!"

"Ah..." Naegi cringed. "Haha... sorry about that. I just kinda woke up wearing this. Before I blacked out, I was just wearing my old school's blazer." He explained, scratching the back of his head and laughing awkwardly.

Ishimaru kept his intense gaze on him for another moment before he appeared to calm down.

"I see…Well in that regard, once we receive our school uniforms, I'll be expecting you to change into them along with the rest of your class, understand?"

'Yeah, no promises there...' Both Naegi and the voice in his head thought simultaneously. He wasn't exactly sure just HOW he ended up with this overcoat, but the luckster wasn't in any rush to change out of it. For some reason, he just... really liked it.

' _Try to be patient, he has his reasons to be obsessed with following the rules.'_ The voice said. ' _And no, you can't mute me.'_

"Will you cease this pointless yammering?"

Byakuya Togami, heir to a massive fortune and maker of an even bigger one, stood tall and proud, indifferent to all around him. He had blonde hair, glasses and wore a suit.

' _Times like this, I wish Joseph had a kid our age…._ ' The voice remarked. Naegi couldn't make out the name of the person the voice mentioned, but found himself agreeing.

"It matters not a wit what happened to keep him late, what matters is finding out what is going on here."

"I hear that!"

Hagakure Yashuhiro was the fortune teller. In this day and age, to see someone really dedicate themselves to that was, in Naegi's opinion, both sad and awesome. Sad in his case; something told the Luckster that Hagukre couldn't tell the past from the present. He had dreadlock hair and wore sandals.

"Hey there, predicted someone would be late!" He beamed, although by the tone in his voice

' _Pathetic.'_ The vice hissed, before softening, taking Naegi's attention away as the self-rpoclaimed Pyshic got closer to him. _'And yet…possibly….'_

"Hey dude?" Hagakure asked, not waiting for a reply. "What is up with your aura? My psychic senses are telling me you got some kind of power…and it's off the charts."

' _He can sense it?'_ the voice realized. ' _Oh, this warrants further testing alone. The second this whole farce of a first meeting is done, we're testing him.'_

Not wanting to know what this voice was thinking, Naegi continued on with getting to know the other students.

"This scenario reminds me of a game and fanfiction that I played."

Naegi cringed at the sight of the speaker:

Yamada Hirumi was a straight up nerd, grossly fat and the biggest of all in terms of girth and heights, with a glasses and brown hair. He introduced himself as god of a 'two dimensional world' before revealing himself to be a lover/ writer of fanfics and videogames…and claimed to refuse to associate with anyone who did not play said games.

' _He's a closet gay.'_ The voice added. _'No one THAT interested in sex would be anything but a gay and trying to cover it up. Either that or a virgin…probably both in his case.'_

Naegi realized the voice didn't seem to have a high opinion of humanity.

' _What gave that away?'_

"Hey shrimp."

Naegi turned to see Mondo Owada, the Gang Leader. He was a tall and well -built young man with orange hair in the standard 'delinquent look' and wore a biker's outfit that screamed 'out to start a fight.'

' _Geez. If they were looking for a delinquent, good old Jojo would've been a better choice.'_ The voice mused, Naegi unable to get who it was referring to, but agreeing with nonetheless.

He then realized Mondo had made his way over to him, a critical look in his eyes.

"Nice coat."

"….Thanks." Naegi replied.

"Reminds me of some punks I dealt with back in Tokyo." Mondo cut in. "You a member looking for trouble?"

And suddenly any feelings of friendliness vanished, so Naegi moved on to see the others trapped in this room with him.

"Hey, come on." Another voice said. "Let's not cause any trouble, okay?"

Naegi came to the last male in the room, one Leon Kuwata, the baseball player. He wore a white jacket and multiple piercings, and had blood red hair.

Naegi noted he seemed to be a good guy.

' _He is….and he is not.'_

And finally…Naegi turned his attention the ladies in the room.

' _Typical teenage boy.'_ The voice mumbled.

First up was a gothic ravenette in a maid's cap and black Lolita-styled school uniform. Celesita Lundenberg, a gambler. Her hair was done in black curl horns with a hime-cut and she wore a finger ring.

"So we're all stuck here together." She noted, a sly smile on her face as she began to inwardly plot. "Interesting."

' _A successful gambler, and at such a young age. Heh, those brothers have nothing on her.'_

Again, Naegi found himself agreeing with the voice, if for nothing else but self-preservation.

' _Oh, there's no need to worry about me…yet.'_

Then there was Junko Enoshima; a blonde with mismatched scrunchies in her hair; one a bow and the other a bunny. Her black shirt was buttoned, showing off a black bra. She seemed to be the standard valley girl, befitting a model like herself.

' _You sure about that? Take a closer look.'_

The boy was brought out of the voice's words when he saw Junko was giving him a critical look-over.

"That jacket is like, so retro…but it works."

"Um….Thank you?" Naegi mused, glad to see someone liked it and didn't seem to hate him for it.

' _Watch her….She's off."'_

Next there was the Programmer, Fijuisaki Chihiro…So damn cute. Shortest of all, in a green dress and big eyes, a computer prodigy with short blonde hair.

"S-So…everyone woke u-up alone?" She asked in confirmation, getting nods in recognition.

The way she carried herself reminded Naegi of his sister Komaru back when she was younger.

' _At this point, you're thinking there is nothing wrong in thinking that aboit tapping that.' The_ voice noted, a smirk clear in its tone. _'That in no way come back to bite you.'_

Naegi shook his head seemingly silcening the voice for a while and he continued to look at the others in the room.

"Oh don't worry about anything!" A cheerful voice beamed, getting into Naegi's face. "Hi there! Nice to meet you!"

This was Aoi Asahina, the swimmer. Jogging suit and a white T-shirt with tanned skin, brown hair in an upwards ponytail.

"Asahina, compose yourself."

Her friend Sakura Ogami was an unexpected one; well-muscled and almost manly, if not for the dress and her voice. A rough, tough and tumble kind of gal. The kind who can watch your back in a fight. Naegi noted that she and Aoi seemed close, must be friends.

' _But a more loyal friend and companion would be harder to find.'_ The voice added. _'Except maybe them…'_

"Perhaps the staff is testing us." Sakura mused. "To see how we handle situations…and you!"

Naegi tensed yet again

"….you carry yourself like a naïve, all loving fool…but I sense a great warrior in you."

' _Ah…she senses it too…'_ The voice mused, ignoring/muting Naegi from hearing the chuckles her comment got from Mondo and others.

He then came across the jittery and borderline nervous wreck Toko Fukawa, the writer. Naegi had managed to read some of her works in preparation to coming to Hope's Peak…they were pretty good, despite how scared she seemed. She had the adorkable look; glasses, black schoolgirl dress and glasses.

"W-What are you l-lo-lloking at me for?" She stuttered, her tone betraying fear and some self-righteousness.

' _Be careful around her. She's the 2_ _nd_ _most dangerous out of anyone in this room.'_

Before Naegi could inquire as to who the first was, he spied, standing In the back of the room, Kyouko Kirigri. She was quiet, anlyasizing the whole affair. She had lavender hair, wears a leather jacket and gloves and a red tie.

She and Naegi's eyes made contact, and only one thing came to their minds:

'Cold.'

' _You will get along more just fine with her….be patient.'_

There was a subdued tone in the voice this time, almost one akin to nostalgia and regret.

"Did you need something?" She inquired, making Naegi wince.

"Um, oh! No, no, no, no!" Naegi hurriedly said as he turned to walk away, only to feel a glove hand on his shoulder.

It belonged to Kirigiri, who was eyeing him in what seemed to be a mix of inquiziativeness, suspicion…and concern?

"..You have a major role in all of this, yet do not quite know fully what it is." She deduced suddenly. "As the physic said… there's something about you."

She then turned and walked away

' _She always was sharp…Could give Jojo a run for his money.'_

Again, the voice seemed to be partial to her.

' _You can trust her.'_ The voice sighed, regret. _'And possibly the last one. You'll recognize her.'_

And then finally, there was Maizono Sayaka.

The idol of Naegi's old school; blue hair that reaches the small of her back with a pink ribbon and clad in a regular a school uniform. Her songs always made in top 10 in Japan, and if you looked deep enough, somewhere in the West probably had them on their list.

"Naegi, is that you?" She asked, seemingly remembering him from school.

It then dawned on him what was going on:

She remembered him. Maizono Sayaka, the Super High School Level Idol, knew he existed.

'HOLY SHIT, AN IDOL KNOWS I EXIST!'

' _Yeesh, think a little louder, why don't ya?'_ The voice in his head snapped.

'Sorry. World shattering revelation right there. Probably won't happen again…maybe.' Naegi apologized as Maizono then seemed to read his mind in how he was surprised she recognized him

' _It will…. And she's not psychic, you're just obvious, damn slacker.'_

Naegi cringed at the voice's words before the voice chuckled.

' _But I bet good old Mr. Joseph would like her for that bit alone.'_

With introductions out of the way, Naegi relaxed as the voice seemed to vanish.

This was promptly thrown out the window when everyone revealed that had been in a similar situation as him, and their phones were missing.

"I can explain that!"

Another voice, this one sounding like a child or senior citizen trying to be hip, came from the podium on the stage

"I...am...Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!" The bear declared.

For some reason, Naegi did not find this all that bizarre. Weird? Yes. But not bizarre.

' _Oh, starting to recall, are we?'_

What he did find bizarre was Ishida treating the whole situation as if it was natural.

"Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy, were you'll spend the rest of your lives being the perfect little students, all your needs catered to due to our astronomical budget, without the pesky little annoyances of those who know and could slow you down." Monokuma gleamed darkly. "However, this is still a free country and an educational institute, so if you feel the need to, you are free to leave. All you have to do…"

Everyone leaned into hear the answer:

"…Is commit MURDER!"

The room went silent for a few good minutes.

"I don't care how it's done, just kill somebody! Do that and you walk on out free, back into the hellishly boring reality; were you lot, the brightest of your generation, chosen to be leaders of the new era, and are fated to succeed no matter what. But know that the shadows of guilt and death will follow you on your fated road….I'm getting tingly just imaging your despair."

"That is not what Hope's Peak is about." Kirigiri noted bluntly, he words carring more weight than anyone else.

'She is taking this way too well.' Naegi mused to himself.

"Well, that was the old Hope's Peak. A new century needs a new mission statement. And how do I fit into this new mission?"

What the bear said next shook everyone to their bones, not because of the words themselves, but how they were said:

"I will change your fates."

Completely serious. No joking at all.

' _Yeah, something's defiantly changed.'_

As is often the case in these situations, some began to lash out. In this case, it was Mondo, who managed to grab the bar and threaten him.

"Harming the Headmaster I against the rules!" Monokuma cheekily and hurriedly said as he to beep, not unlike a countdown.

Without realizing it, Naegi dug into his pockets and felt something round. He took a deep breath, feeling a warm sensation leaving his form and entering whatever he'd felt, a spark and crackle engulfing it. Naegi flipped the item in Monokuma and Mondo's direction, and all gazed in amazement as a tiny amrble shot at a speed they couldn't follow to send the 'Headmaster' off the delinquent when it made contact with the bear's white ear.

The bear was sent flying away and exploded, sooner than it had anticipated…and the blast was negated.

"How did you….?" Yamada, Toka and Maizono started to ask Naegi, whose attention was rapt on his hand, which seemed to…glow?

Yes, his hand was glowing with a warm energy that sparkled in the air.

"How did I do that?" Naegi asked himself.

"Well, well, well…"

Naegi felt the bear's eyes on his form.

"Seems you're living up to your title, little luckster. But you know what they say…all good things come to an end. How long will your luck last, Makoto Naegi? I'm looking forward to seeing it run out"

With a laugh that seemed to ooze both innocence and sadism, the bear vanished, leaving Naegi alone with his classmates.

Another spark escaped Naegi's fingers, before the glow began to disappate and the Luckster regained his normal breathing.

Maizono cheered as she took him in a light hug, getting a blush on the boy's face. Asahina gave Naegi two thumbs up while Mondo grunted and glared at where the bear had been.

"Well, seems you have surprises up your sleeve, Naegi, was it?" Celeste noted. "You may be worth a higher ranking."

"You must be a mage of sorts!" Yamada salivated, while Toka's eyes seemed to brighten in interest in Naegi…who felt unsure about that.

"I know there was something about ya!" Hagakure smiled in pride, whle Sakura and Kirigiri watched Naegi from a safe distance but still close.

"Nice aim, dude!" Leon cheered on the unassuming boy..

"Excellent job in saving your classmate, Makoto-san!" Ishimaru saluted Naegi, only to glare at him. "But attacking a headhamster and using magic is NOT WELCOME IN A SCHOOL ENVIROMENT!"

"Oh, will you, like, put a sock in it with that 'school environment' crap?" Junko snapped, her eyes seeming to linger on Naegi.

Again, the young man was unsure how to feel about that.

The voice groaned.

' _Really?! Hamon, of all the…! Ugh! No use hiding anything…Hold still.'_

Naegi tensed as images flashed through his head: Images of himself standing alongside two four other men (along with the single most troublesome dog), fighting various spirits…and then THAT MAN appeared in his sights: A man with the body of Olympian god and utter confidence; a man who shook his being even when Naegi knew he was no longer a threat…

Then the images flashed to a mansion in Egypt…and then a bridge, road-roller and blurring punches. But the parts at the bridge seemed…both familiar and unfamiliar, not unlike a dream. But some things were constant; THAT MAN died, and great pain was had…along with amazing adventures.

Then then final image came to him; it was him and not him…with a cold glare.

And it was then and there that Naegi recognized the voice in his head.

….

Oh.

My.

God.

….

But…that was impossible!

" _Finally got it, eh?"_

To be continued….

 **Next: Escape from Hope's Peak and Fate**

 **Read and review, would ye kindly?**

 **Major thanks to Danmaku-Overlord and lolrus555.**

 **A side story details Naegi's adventures with the Crusaders will be coming up in the future, and co-writing/suggestions are welcomed.**

 **Have a good one and keep safe.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Welcome back! Sorry I haven't updated in so long; job hunting, Yukon contract with shoddy internet…**_

 _ **A special thanks to lolrus555 for their immense help in helping to get this chapter rolling (the first bit is all them), so leave them a thanks and check out their works.**_

 **Act 3: Memories**

The moment consciousness returned to him, the first thing that Naegi noticed was just how horribly dry his throat felt in tandem with a pounding, nauseating headache.

"Urghhhh…" The lucky student of Class 78 groaned, the only thought running through his mind being to make his way to the bathroom, place his head underneath the sink, and fill his windpipe up with water until this ungodly dryness in his throat left him. Unfortunately, in addition to the pounding in his head, Naegi also found himself plagued with a set of legs that felt like jelly, for as soon as his legs left the bed and attempted to stand, he found himself collapsing to the floor like a puppet without it's strings.

"W...Water…!" Naegi groaned, staggering back onto his feet and using the wall to support himself as he slowly and painstakingly made his way into his dorm's personal bathroom.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the lucky student was finally able to make it into his bathroom. Wasting no time, Naegi staggered towards the sink and blasted the faucet's cold water before hastily placing his head underneath the cold flow.

'Oh thank god!' Naegi thought as the blissful substance went down his throat, instantly ridding himself of the terrible dryness that wouldn't even let himself swallow properly. 'That was terrible! I didn't even have any spit to swallow!'

After drinking until he couldn't even breathe, Naegi pulled back from the faucet with a gasp before falling onto his butt and breathing heavily. After what felt like an hour's worth of just sitting and breathing, the luckster finally decided to force himself back onto his feet, using the faucet as something to lean onto. After taking a moment to lean down and clean his eyes, the disoriented luckster looked upwards and saw himself in the mirror… and it was certainly a sight for sore eyes. With disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and crumpled button-up pajamas with the entire chest area soaked in water, he could say with certainty that this was the worst state he'd ever seen himself in.

"Ugh… I… I need a hot shower and some medicine." The brunette thought drearily, already reaching towards the medicine cabinet in the mirror.

.

One piping hot shower and Alka Seltzer tablet later, and Naegi was already feeling ten times better compared to how he woke up.

"Phew…! I feel loads better now! Wonder what happened though…" Naegi sighed blissfully, reaching towards his drawer. He couldn't exactly go about his day clad in only his favorite pair of boxers, now could he?

'I guess I must have just caught some kind of fever, and on today of all days…' Naegi shrugged as his slid his green and red hoodie on before taking a seat on his bed. True to the brunette's internal word, summer vacation had finally graced Hope's Peak Academy and all it's students, allowing the many Ultimates to blissfully plan out how they'll spend their two months worth of vacation. Naegi, along with most of his classmates, had opted to stay an extra day at the dormitories to get everything in order in addition to just spending one more day together before they all went their separate ways for the season. However, considering how closely knit the students of class 78 were, Naegi highly doubted they wouldn't be see a lot of each other over the course of the summer.

However, now that his feverish state had finally died down, Naegi couldn't help but think about that dream he had before waking up. Even after showering and clearing his head, the events that took place in his dream were still fresh on his mind. Going through a white abyss only to end up in a humble fortune teller's store, having that sagely man ask him so many questions about himself... Everything about it felt so strange yet… tranquil, which contrasted greatly with the delirious state he woke up in.

'So weird… fortune tellers and… what did that man call it again? 'Stands?' That part especially was fresh on Naegi's mind. The idea of having some kind of guardian spirit watching over him and protecting him with it's own special powers sounded like something straight out of Hifumi's more obscure anime series.

'I must've been playing too many video games to have a dream like that. Still… the way that man described that… thing's abilities felt oddly familiar.' Naegi reflected for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. "Man… even for a dream, that was strange."

*I'm sorry to say this, but that was no dream, and it's no coincidence that your stand's powers sound so familiar.*

Really? What makes you say that?" Naegi asked without even thinking, the contemplative look still clear on his face.

.

"! HUH!?"

It took the brunette another moment before he realized that some disembodied voice called out to him from somewhere in his room. "W-Who's there!? How'd you get in here!?" The brunette called out, looking frantically all around the dorm room trying to find out where that voice came from.

*I'm over here.*

Whipping his head towards the source of the noise, Naegi was shocked to realize that the voice was coming from the E-Handbook on his dresser.

"My... my handbook!? W-Who are you!? How are you speaking through my E-Handbook!? These things aren't phones or radios!" Naegi demanded frantically as he picked up the see-through tablet and looked at it's screen. Oddly enough, there was nothing but static on the screen, but that did nothing to deter the voice as it spoke up once more.

*The time to introduce myself has most likely passed, but nonetheless, call me Steel. I'm the one who roused your stand from it's slumber.*

"S...Stand!? So you mean… that dream really happened!?" Naegi asked incredulously, his grip on the E-Handbook unconsciously tightening.

*Indeed. There's no need to be afraid, however, Makoto Naegi. I've been searching for someone like you… a courageous, extraordinary youth who desires a *special power…* I have given you what you seek!* The voice exclaimed from the E-Handbook. Upon letting the sheer absurdity of his words sink in for a moment, Naegi finally found the correct words to say in this situation.

"I...I'm sorry, but *Special power?* Do you have any idea just how idiotic that sounds!?" Naegi exclaimed into the radio, voicing his disbelief with how this entire morning had been going. "You sound even more stupid than my fraud of a classmate when he's on another one of his mindless tangents! Do you actually expect me to believe a word of what you're saying!?" If 'Steel' was discouraged by Naegi's refusal to believe what he was saying, then he didn't let it show in his voice.

*If you don't believe me, then try calling out your stand's name. It will manifest before your very eyes.* Steel assured the skeptical teenager, his tone confident.

"..Are you even hearing yourself right now?" Naegi sighed, still not convinced. "Okay… alright, fine. If it'll get you to stop with this and just leave me alone, then I'll do what you say."

And with that, the Ultimate Lucky Student took a deep breath before calling out the name that was still freshly engraved into his brain. "「Miracles...」There. I did exactly as you asked and nothing happened. Now can you please just get off my handbook and-"

*Phoo…*

"W-WHAT THE HELL!?" Naegi exclaimed when a black and white figured suddenly faded into existence in front of him. Unable to help himself, and in a surprising display of athleticism only achieved by truly shocked and surprised men, the short brunette instinctively somersaulted backwards and landed head first on the other side of his bed. Scrambling onto his feet, he quickly got a good look at the floating figure on the other side of the bed.

In essence, it looked like some kind of… jellyfish with beady little eyes and a small set of arms and fists. The creature only gave Naegi a single glance before it suddenly began to swim through the air of the room, honestly resembling what the brunette previously compared it to, a simp"W...What is this thing!?" Naegi thought aloud, a cold sweat running down his spine as he watched 'Miracles' float around his room without a care in the world.

*Miracles, your stand.* Steel answered from the other side of the bed, and before Naegi could demand what that even meant, he continued. *In layman's terms, think of your stand like a superpower, as well as a type of guardian angel. A stand is a manifestation of your fighting spirit and soul. No matter what happens, it will always be by your side. Each person's stand also has their own unique ability. As for what yours does… well, you remember what that fortune teller in your dream said, don't you?*

"He… he said that it was a long-range stand that could… could…" Adrenaline coursing through his body, Naegi wracked his brain to remember the series of events that had previously been so clear to him. However, once he recalled, it all clicked into place for him, everything becoming so much more clear as he looked at the floating apparition with newfound disbelief. "He said it could read minds and manipulate a person's subconscious…! This thing…! Oh my god, this thing is-"

*Indeed. All your life, you've been unconsciously using your stand's power with no way to control it, similar to something like muscle memory, or something as simple and natural breathing. Using 「Miracles'」 mind-reading was like second nature to you all along.* Steel explained, causing Naegi to look at the apparition in a new light.

'All along… I've been using this thing's power without even realizing it?' Naegi thought to himself, slowly getting back onto his feet. Miracles had since stopped floating around the room and was now staring straight at him, it's body completely still. Experimentally, the light brunette tried… willing the stand back into his body, and the response was instantaneous. In a manner that could be compared to unclenching a fist, Naegi's stand flew towards him before fading away into his body, feeling the same as ever.

"I don't believe it…" Naegi murmured to himself, still having difficulty believing this was happening to him. All along, his power to look into other people's thoughts was this… stand? It was such an outlandish and bizarre explanation, but at the same time, reading another person's mind wasn't exactly normal either.

*So you're finally starting to understand. Overtime, your stand will surely become an indispensable ally to you!* Steel clarified.

"But… why me? W-Why are you doing this, and what exactly are you, anyway!?" Naegi asked, still so many questions on his mind as he went over the bed and picked his E-Handbook back up.

*I am simply the remnant of a man who was killed by one of these 'stands.' Just think of me like you would a prerecorded message.*

Okay, and what does any of this have to do with me?" Naegi asked, growing more confused by the minute.

*...I want to change this world's future.* Steel answered simply. "As a unit, you and I can do that… no, we MUST do that, at any and all costs!" The sudden intensity and conviction in Steel's voice caught the luckster off guard.

"With your awoken stand, you must take out a certain person… THAT INSIDIOUS VAMPIRE, DIO!"

.

.

.

"I… I'm sorry I keep asking you to repeat things, but did you just say you want me to KILL someone, and that someone is a VAMPIRE?" It took Naegi a moment before what Steel said truly sank in.

*Indeed I did. It will be dangerous… DIO has assassin's everywhere, and they don't take well to those who defy him… As long as DIO lives, they will hunt you down, so make sure you proceed with caution.*

"W-Wait! Hold on! If you're actually being serious about then do you have any idea just what you're asking of me!? You can't just expect me to suddenly want to put my life on the line like this!" Naegi objected furiously. Did this man honestly expect him to just nod and accept everything he was saying with no objections!?

*Have you ever heard the saying 'with great power comes great responsibility?' This is merely a consequence of granting you the power you asked for.*

"I never ASKED for this power! I was born with it! I never had any control over this, so don't go acting like you gave it to me, or that I HAVE to do any of this!" Naegi denied angrily, his confusion towards Steel's words replaced with anger. A moment of tense silence passed before the voice on the handbook finally spoke up once more.

"...You're right, I never gave you your Stand. It's a power that you were born with and had all your life. All I did was give it the push needed to rouse it from it's slumber for you. However, you NEED to understand what's at risk here and how it affects you. DIO is the type of individual who feels easily threatened when someone's strength approaches his own. He can very easily know of your existence, and once he does, he will not stop sending assassins after you until you're either dead or agree to serve him.*

"This is unbelievable. You're the one who did this to me, so if anything, YOUR life is the one that should be on the line here!" Naegi groaned, his dissatisfaction with this entire situation clear in his voice.

*If it makes you feel better, I don't even have a life to put on the line. It's like I said, I've already been killed by another stand user, what you're hearing right now are just fragments, so to say." Steel explained. :But that's beside the point. If you left DIO to his own devices, then not only would your life be on the line, but the lives of your family and friends!*

This statement certainly caught Naegi's attention, causing his breath to hitch before his thoughts started going at 100 MPH. 'W...What? They could be at risk too!? How!? How the hell could this guy even know all his!?'

It was bad enough knowing there could very well be a gigantic target on the luckster's back thanks to his newly awoken power, but knowing that both his family and classmates could become targeted by these assassin's was too much to handle. A painful moment of silence passed before Naegi finally found what he needed to say.

"Shit…" Naegi his out under his breath, resignation clear in his posture. "Alright… fine. All things considered, I can't just leave well enough alone. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Finished getting dressed and once you're ready, head to Grape Crest High school. It's of the utmost importance. And don't forget to bring your E-Handbook! I can contact you via it!"

"Okay, got it." The brunette nodded before he began to scrounge around his dresser for more clothes. In a few moments, Naegi was sliding on his old school's blazer before tentatively reaching towards his E-Handbook and pocketing it. However, before leaving his dorm, he pulled out the tablet one more time.

"...Are you still there?" Naegi asked curiously, and after a brief moment, he got his answer.

*Yes. I there something you need?*

"...I just have one more question before I leave. Out of everybody here, why did you pick me?" Naegi asked, finally voicing the question that had been on his mind since this situation finally set in for him. "I mean, you said you were looking for an 'extraordinary youth,' right? Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but you're contacting me from Hope's Peak Academy. Even though it's summer break, this entire school is filled with teenagers that fit the requirements you're looking for way more than me. I can say with certainty that even with me subconsciously using my stand all my life, I'm probably the least 'extraordinary' person in this entire school. So… why pick me?"

Probably any member of his class was more applicable for dealing with this situation than he was, and from what he could understand about these 'stands,' it seemed like whatever they would've gotten would be far more extraordinary than something as lame and simple as 'influencing a person's subconscious.'

*Hmhmhm~. You might not believe this yourself, Naegi, but you're far from an ordinary person. In any case, I chose you have a particularly strong sense of right and wrong.* And before he could demand he elaborate, the E-Handbook in Naegi's hands fizzed off, leaving his room completely silent.

''A strong sense of right and wrong…?' THAT'S why he chose me!?' Of course, what neither Naegi or Steel realized at the time was just how true that statement really was… for better or for worse.

'Well… no use complaining about it now.' Naegi sighed, pocketing his handbook once more before approaching his dorm room's exit. 'Whether I like it or not, I'm a part of… whatever this is now.'

And with nothing more to be said, the light brunette opened the door and left, unknowingly signaling the start of a truly bizarre adventure

DGR-7TH-JOJO

That was years ago, he realized.

After all that had occurred, he'd gone on an adventure of sorts….he couldn't recall the details though.

' _You will in time.'_

Naegi jumped at the voice, and the realized he was alone.

' _Monokuma ordered them to get to the Media room.'_

"Yare Yare…" Nagei wheezed. "I knew I'd have it rough here, but all this? Sounds like something out of a manga. Oh well, at least I got you on my side, huh Steele?"

The voice's presence seemed to shift

' _We both wish I was Steele.'_ The voice sighed. _'I am not.'_

That confession threw Naegi for a loop. If not Steele, then who was this voice?

' _You already know. You just don't want to believe it.'_

Just then, the door opened, alerting the young man to turn around to see…

"Were the hell is everyone? I got lost, that stupid note could've at least given me directions!"

"Junko?"

Junko was standing in front of him…and yet…

"Like, what? How do you know my name" The girl asked defensively, before softening and shooting him a coy smile. "Got a crush?"

Naegi's face flushed at her comment, but he began to focus on her. Not her physical appearance, as nice as it was….

She carried herself like Junko; proud and strong, ambition obvious in her form….but she also had loyalty and a sense of fear in her form that the Junko he had first seen did not. He could also see a slew of weapon handling in her mind, and a younger her being comforted by someone….

And that's what gave it away.

Whenever he read minds, Naegi saw memories from a first person perspective, like a shooting game (he knew Yamada would get that reference and hated himself for making it)

"You're not Junko Enoshima." Naegi said. "You're close to her enough to flawlessly imposternate her, but not enough to hide your military training."

'Junko' seemed horrified at Naegi's words, but she was not bothering to deny them. In fact, she seemed elated to drop this façade, if just for a little bit.

"You're right." She confessed. "I'm her sister, Mukuro Ikusaba; Super Duper High School Level Ultimate Solider. And you are?"

"Naegi Makoto. Super Duper High School Level Ultimate Luckster…apparently,"

"….Luckster?" She asked jokingly.

"Hey, I didn't choose the name." He chuckled.

"So…any idea where our classmates and my sister went?" She asked glancing around the room.

"The Media room." Naegi explained. "And luckily, I know where it is."

' _Yeah.'_ The voice mused as the two dashed over to their target. _'Things are definitely different this time around…though maybe not for the worse."_

How wrong the voice was.

DGR-7TH-JOJO

While Naegi had been walking down memory lane and the voice in his head's fears were being confirmed, the rest of the students were being lead to the Media room.

"What are we doing here, ya damn bear?" Mondo asked

"Back-talking the headmaster is not welcome in a school environment!" Ishida snapped.

"It's fine, is fine!" The beat assured the hall monitor, motioning everybody to take a seat. "After all that craziness, I realized that maybe I should tell you all a little bit about me. After all, we're stuck with each other until you all die!"

"And what about the magician?" Togami asked

"His name is Naegi!" Maizono corrected in the indifferent heir.

"As much as I hate to admit it…" Monokuma, his voice taking on a more serious and darker tone, growled. "That….boy, will no doubt not be affected by what I'm about to do to you lot."

No sooner had those words left his mouth, the students found themselves strapped into their seats as a newsreel began to play, their murderous host dancing and narrating.

"Would you believe I was adopted?" Monokuma began at the picture of a baby with his face plastered on it, not waiting for a reply. "Indeed I was! A kindly old priest who loved me dearly. For most of my life, I had few worries or concerns. I even fell in love…"

Most of the students were repulsed that ANYONE could love the black and white murderous bear.

"But then, tragedy and horror struck!" The bear melodramatically cried. "My dear father attempted to get me a car, eve building me a garage! It would've been the sweetest gift for my birthday…But Pappi made a horrible discovery! A woman buried under our home; my own mother, who'd abandoned me long ago. And then, a fire broke out, killing Pappi and five other schmucks!"

He then produced an Arrow from behind him

"I said I would change your fates." Monokuma replied, now in a much calmer and masculine voice. "And I shall do just that."

He then rammed the arrow it each student's mouth, half delighting in their screams and half concentrating on the one student who wasn't there:

' _I don't know who you are Naegi Makoto, and I don't know how you know what you know….nor do I care. Fate smiles upon me and me alone, no one shall stand in my way.'_

 **Read and Review, would ye kindly?**


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